Paper folding machine and method



L. T. HAND PAPER FOLDING MACHINE AND METHOD Nov. 21, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 16, 1946 in I III II llll INVENTOR ATTORNEY 1950 L. T. HAND 2,531,213

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 16, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V INVENTOR Q I v. Les/ e Z'Jfand I Z Z Q 2 w ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 21. 1950 PAPER FOLDING MACHINE AND METHOD Leslie '1. Hand, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Morsegraph lino, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 16, 1946, Serial No. 654,879

11 Claims. (01. 270-73) The present invention relates to a machine and method for folding long strips of paper into zigzag shape and thereafter forming the folded paper into a stack.

Paper formed into zigzag or back-and-forth folds is utilized extensively throughout the business world in instruments such as stock tickers, adding machines, Teletype machines, etc. Such strips or tapes of paper possess many advantages over paper supplied in ordinary circular rolls; this is discussed quite fully in Patent No. 1,985,677, and in Patent No. 1,747,719 there is shown and described a machine and method for manufacturing stacks of zigzag paper. Ihe present machine is an improvement over such previous machines and methods.

With machines for folding paper into zigzag folds and thereafter forming stacks, a highly important feature is the positioning of the blades or knives which actually crease or fold the paper upon rotation of the cylinders which carrythe blades. If these tucker blades or knives extend out a slight distance too far beyond the surface of their carrying cylinder or if they are too short by a small fraction of an inch, the result will be to form a stack of paper which does not possess aligned folded edges or folds. Frequently, the paper stack produced by a machine which has an imperfectly positioned blade will tend to creep" or slant to one side or the other; each time a particular fold or ply is formed by the inaccurately positioned blade, that particular ply will be located toward one side or the other of the stack and the stack will tend to incline. Heretofore it has been necessary to grind off the edge of a blade which projected outwardly too far or to put in a new blade in the event it did not extend outwardly far enough. Obtaining the correct adjustment of a blade was a most exacting and time consuming task.

The present invention aims to minimize or overcome the above and other difficulties and to increase the effectiveness of paper folding machines by providing new and improved means for creasing or folding paper strips. The invention further contemplates the provision of a paper folding machine which achieves an improved feed of paper both to and from the folding means and which forms a more nearly perfectly aligned stack of zigzag paper.

' An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method and mechanism for folding and stacking'paper strips.

Another object of the present invention is to Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved stacking means and method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved paper feeding means.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur "to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2 in the vicinity where the cylinders meet each other;

Fig. 4 is a view taken along the line l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, of a creasing and clamping means shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a paper feeding means.

Referring again to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a pair of cylinders or rollers l and 2 mounted on axles or shafts e and 5, the axles being rotatably supported in brackets l and 8 secured to and carrier. by a bed or frame Ill, which is in turn supported on legs H. The axles 4 and 5 are preferably mounted in suitable bearings (not shown) so that they may rotate freely and the drivin force for rotating them is derived from an electric motor (not shown) through the intermediation of belt 13, pulley l4, gear 16 keyed to the pulley shaft 15, and intermeshing gears 11 and id keyed to the cylinder or axle shafts 4 and 5. The gearing is so connected that upon actuation the rollers or cylinders i and 2 are caused to move toward each other and downwardly as they approach their area of tangency; this is indicated by the arrows A Shown on the cylinders. This downward motion is desirable in connection with the feeding of a paper strip 29, which strip may be unrolled from a large roll and through various feed rollers of the general arrangement shown in Patent No. 1,985,676, for example. In passage of ed sleeve member 50 and its projection 53 radiallyis effective to move or shift the position .of a blade 24 in a radial direction. In order to facilitate movement of the internally threaded sleeve Eli and a blade 24 there is provided an externally threaded screw member 51 that fits through the sleeve 59 and is held in position by bosses 58 and 59 at opposite ends of the recess 52; this externally threaded screw member 51 preferably has a slotted head 6| adjacent the outer periphery of the cylinder and a burred end or a nut at the opposite end thereof. This construction permits rotation of the externally threaded screw member 51 but prevents accidental separation thereof from the lower member 52. When the blade lockingbolts 49 are in loosened position the screw member 51 may be rotated by inserting a screwdriver into the slotted head 61; rotation of the screw member causes the internally threaded sleeve 50 to travel to and fro in a radial direction along the screw 51 and to correspondingly move the blade 24. Preferably each blade is provided with one of these positioning means adjacent each end thereof (Fig. 4). Providing the screw member 5'! with a very fine thread facilitates obtaining small accurate movements in the radial position of a blade. When correct adjustment has been made the bolts 9 may be tightened to securely lock the upper and lower members of a housing together against the blade and thus minimize any possibility of movement thereof. Movement and radial positioning of a blade may be achieved without removing a housing and blade assembly from a cylinder. A spanner wrench may be used to loosen the bolts 49, the threaded screws 5'! may be adjusted by means of a screwdriver and the bolts 49 may thereafter be tightened without removing parts from a cylinder.

As a blade is withdrawn from between the jaws of a clamping means due to the rotation and separation of these two points of opposite rollers, there is a tendency for the rotary motion of the cylinders to twist the blade. It is desirable to minimize this twisting tendency and .1

in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 there is illustrated means for doing this.

In the forms shown in these figures, the lower part 42 of the housing which carries a blade is provided with cylindrical end portions 43 pivotally mounted in hearings or brackets 65 and 36, a flat sided lug 65 being secured to an extension of one end of the bottom member. The flat side 65 of this lug 65 normally rests against the head 67 of a T-shaped member 68 carried by a bracket 78 held in outward position by a spring 1|. As continued rotation of the cylinders I and 2, from the position shown in Fig. 3, occurs the clamping means tends to pull the blade along with it and to bend or twist it. This twisting tendency is relieved by permitting the blade housing to turn upon its cylindrical ends 43, to thereby cause the flat side 66 of the lug 65 to move out of engagement with the head 61 of the T-shaped member 68; the head of the T-shaped member presses inwardly in opposition to the spring H and thus relieves the twisting tendency rather than bend the blade. As the cylinders continue to turn the blade and clamping means separate from each other and the blade slides smoothly out from between the gripped fold of paper and snaps back into radial position due to the influence of the spring II.

It has been previously pointed out hereinabove that paper released from between jaws of a 6 clamping means is gradually built up into a stack and the present invention provides a new and improved method and machine for forming this stack.

In the position shown in Fig. 1 the jaws have clamped a fold of paper firmly in position around .a blade. Continued rotation of the cylinders l and 2 and separation of the blade and clamping means, effects withdrawal of the knife or blade from between the fold of paper, but the clamping jaws continue to grip the fold and to pull the paper strip downwardly and toward one side. The particular side toward which the paper is pulled depends upon which cylinder clamping means is gripping the fold. Any particular clamping means will continue to hold a fold of paper until approximately such time as the next succeeding pair of jaws is about to clamp around or actually does clamp around a succeeding fold, and the first clamping means then is caused to open its jaws. When the roller 29 of any particular clamping means is at a low point 38 of a stationary cam 28 the jaws 25 and 26 will be closed about a blade and its fold of paper and they will remain closed during travel of the roller 2% over the lower area of the cam 28. When the jaws of a succeeding clamping means have just gripped around a succeeding blade and its newly formed fold of paper, the jaws of the first or preceding clamping means will have just previously reached a high point 39 on a cam 38 or will be approaching and immediately in front of a high point or area 39 on a cam 28. The high point 39 lifts the roller 29 and opens the jaws to free the fold of paper held between them. This latter fold is freed in the immediate vicinity of the stack 40 of paper and is released onto the stack. The height of the table or stack supporting means 15 may be regulated to lower the table as the stack builds up thereon, and the height adjusting means shown in Fig. 5 of Patent No. 2,359,417 may be utilized if desired. Preferably the upper surface 16 of this table has a slightly curved profile so that any slight extra thickness occasioned by the folds at the edges of the stack may tend to be compensated for; this feature is brought out in prior Patents Nos. 1,985,676 and 2,359,417. Also, if desired. there may be utilized helicoidal means similar to those shown in these two prior patents for the purpose of lightly compressing or compacting the folded edges of the paper web; however, the present method and machine which releases the folds directly at the edge of a stack permits the elimination of this packing means.

There is substantially always one clamping means effective to pull the paper stri through the machine between the cylinders l and 2. The cam which controls the jaws of a clamping means causes the jaws to clamp around a tuck or fold and to remain in closed position even after the blade and clamping means have separated from each other. This clamping and downward movement of the closed jaws pulls the paper strip 20 tightly over the surface of a drum or cylinder until about the time that a next succeeding tuck or fold is formed. Shortly thereafter the jaws are opened and the folded edge is laid upon the stack at approximately the edge of the stack. This pulling of the paper downwardly by the clamped jaws to a position in the vicinity of the stack 4i! contributes toward the formation of multiple lengths or plies of equal dimensions. In some instances it may be desirable to maintain one clamping means in closed relation abouta 7 fold of paper until a next succeeding clam has gripped a paper fold; in other instances it may be preferred to release one fold at the same time, or a slight interval before, a succeeding fold is for-med.

In order to insure smooth operation the enteri'ng or pa er 2 ll may be rovided with a slight amount ofsIack so that a blade and clamping means will be provided with sufficient material to work on. As shown in Fig. 1 this slack may be supplied by a feed roller E8 mounted on a suitable framework it. The roller '18 is shown driven from the large gear l9 by small gears 19, B0, and 81. The speed of the feed roller 18 is such as to feed the paper at a rate which will provide a slight amount of slack between the roller 18 and the meeting point of a blade and clamping means.

Smooth even feed is facilitated by a roller 82 mounted on "a bell crank -83 which presses against the paper with a force due to the weight 85; the weight 85 may be shifted longitudinally along the arm 36 to increase the force or pressure applied against the strip of paper between the rollers. This feature is particularly desirable in instances where muitiplethicknessesof paper are fed into the machine'for folding.

In Fig. 7 there is illustrated a plurality of thicknesses or strips of paper feeding over the roller 755a and beneath the roller 82 and downwardly toward the cylinders l and '2 shown in Fig. l. The firm clamping of a fold of such multiple thicknesses of paper after withdrawal of a blade, pulling it through the machine to a position adjacen't the edge of a stack, and thereafter releasing it at the stack is most desirable for it minimizes theppossibility of the separate strips shiftin'g slightly with respect to each other.

While the present invention has been described in connection with folding a single roll of given width, several rolls may be fed over the feed roller l8 and between the folding cylinders l and 2. An example of several such paper rolls mounted for feeding into a folding machine is shown in lPatent No. 1,985,676.

It will be seen that the present machine provi'd'es -a new and improved machine and method for foiding long strips of paper .into zigzag form. The folding blades 'or 'knives may 'be readily shifted radially "to correct position. The paper strip isclamped and pulled through the machine. When the jaws of aclamping means are opened the gripped or folded end'is laid neatly upon a stack at approximately the edge of the stack. The'pull by the clamp jaws until about the time that a succeeding fold is made obtains plies of very equallengt'h. The machine may be utilized with single or multiple thicknesses of paper and with single or multiple widths of paper; the strips of paperwhich 'feedinto the machine may have 'printingthereon orthey may be plain. The strip of paper may be continuous unperforated "or unslit lengths.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts here- 'in without-departing from the spirit and'scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, -itis to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The method orproducin a stack of folded continuous and uninterrupted paper'from a web of aper which comprises supporting a substantial-ly'vertical run of web above a generally horizontalsupporting surface, providingslack in said 8 vertical run, removing slack by forming a transverse fold in one direction, gripping the margins of the fold, forming a second transverse fold in a direction opposite the first fold at a spaced interval from the first fold, gripping the margins or said second fold, releasing the grip on said first formed fold at one side of said vertical run in close proximity to said sup orting surface while the second fold remains gripped, thereafter releasing the grip on said second formed fold at the opposite side of'the vertical run and in close proximity to said supporting surface, and continuously'repeating said folding gripping and releasing operations in said sequence.

2. The-method of p'rodu'cinga stackof continuous and uninterrupted folded paper from a web of paper which comprises supporting a substantially vertical run of web above a generally hori zontal supporting surface, providing slack in said vertical run, removing slack by forming a trans- Verse fold in one direction, gripping the margins of'the fold, forming a second transverse fold in a direction opposite the first fold at a spaced interval from the first fold, gripping the margins of said second fold, releasing the grip on said first formed fold at one side of said vertical run in close proximity to said supporting surface while the second fold remains gripped, thereafter releasing the-grip on said second formed fold'at the opposite side of the vertical run and in close proximity to said supgorting surface, continuously repeating said folding gripping and releasing operations in sa'idsequence, and lowering said supporting surface while said stack is being produced.

3. The methodclaimed in claim 1 in which said first formed fold is moved in an arcuate path downwardly and to one side of said vertical run and in which said second formed fold is moved in an arcuate path downwardly and to the opposite side of said vertical run.

4. The method claimed in claim 2 in which said first formed fold is moved in an arcuate path downwardly and to one side of said vertical run I and in which said second-formed fold is moved in an arcuate path downwardly and to the opposite side of said vertical run.

5. The method of producing a stack of 'fo'lded continuous and uninterrupted paper froma web of paper which comprises supporting a 'run of web substantially perpendicular to and spaced from a supporting surface disposed generally at right angles to said web, providing slack in said perpendicular run, removing slack by forming a Y transverse 'fold in one direction, gritpin'g the margins of the fold, forming a second transverse fold in a direction opposite the first fold at a spaced interval from the first fold, gripping the margins of said second fold, releasing the grip on said first formed fold at one side of said perpendicular run in close proximity to said supporting surface while the second fold remains gripped, thereafter releasing the grip on said second formed fold at the opposite side of the perpendicular run and in close proximityto said supporting surface, and continuously repeating said folding, gripping and releasing operations'in saidsequence.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 in which said "first formed'fold is moved in an arcuate path to one side-of sa't'd perpendicular run and in which said second formed fold is moved in an arcuate path to the opposite side of said perpendicular run.

7. A device adapted for use with a rotatable cylinder of a paper folding machine, comprising elongated support means for mounting in normally fixed position radially of said cylinder, said support means having a transversely extending recess, a folder blade member supported by said support means, a retainer member movable alon said recess, one of said members having an opening therein and the other having a projection extending into said opening and fitting snugly against walls of the opening, an adjusting screw connected with said retainer member and threadedly engaged with a portion of the support means for selectively moving said retainer member along said recess and thereby varying the radial position of said blade member independently of the support means, and a clamp screw in engagement with said support means for clamping said blade member in an adjusted position.

8. A device adapted for use with a rotatable cylinder of a paper folding machine, comprising elongated support means for mounting in normally fixed position radially of said cylinder, said support means having a plurality of spaced transversely extending recesses, a folder blade sup-' ported by said support means and having a plurality of spaced apertures adjacent said recesses, retainer members movable along said recesses each having a projection extending into and fitting snugly against walls of said apertures in the folder blade, adjusting screws connected with said retainer members and threadedly engaged with portions of the support means for moving said retainer members along said recesses and thereby varying the radial position of said folder blade independently of the support means, and a clamp screw in engagement with said support means for clamping said folder blade in an adjusted position.

9. A device adapted for use with a rotatable cylinder of a paper folding machine, comprising elongated support means for mounting in normally fixed position radially of said cylinder, said support means having a plurality of spaced transversely extending recesses, a folder blade supported by said support means and having spaced apertures and at least a single transverse slot, retainer members movable along said recesses each having a projection extending into and fitting snugly against walls of said apertures in the folder blade, adjusting screws connected with said retainer members and threadedly engaged with portions of the support means for moving said retainer members along said recesses and thereby varying the radial position of said folder blade independently of the support means, a clamp plate overlying said folder blade, and a clamp screw having a shoulder extending over said clamp plate and a portion extending through said slot of the folder blade into said support means for clamping said plate against the folder blade and retaining it in an adjusted position.

10. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said support means is pivotally mounted on a cylinder, and there are provided cooperating means on the cylinder and adjacent an end of the support means for normally yieldably maintaining the latter in a predetermined position.

11. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said support means is pivotally mounted on a cylinder, and there are provided cooperating means on the cylinder and adjacent an end of the support means, including a yieldable member and a fiat-sided lug, for normally yieldably maintaining the latter in a predetermined position.

LESLIE T. HAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the .file of this patent:

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